Chiropractic Solutions Describes the Role of Vitamin C for a Healthy Immune System
The immune system is a hard working system. Like a car or plane or boat, it needs fuel to keep working hard. The fuel for the immune system is an extensive list of micronutrients, the most mentioned being vitamin C, and rightly so. Vitamin C plays an instrumental role in an immune system that works well. In addition to spine pain care, Chiropractic Solutions asks our San Jose chiropractic patients to notice their body’s fuel levels of nutrients like vitamin C. Nutrition is important!
LOW VITAMIN C LEVELS
Researchers examined what factors add to low vitamin C status and found that vitamin C levels are impacted mostly by dietary intake. Diet can be influenced by cultural aspects like traditional cooking methods with traditional staple foods like grains which have little vitamin C to offer. Environmental factors have a role like geographic region, season, climate, and pollution. Demographic issues like age, race, sex, and socioeconomic factors like deprivation, education, institutionalization, and social class. Health factors like smoking, body weight, pregnancy/lactation, genetic variants, as well as diseases like severe infection or cardiovascular disease or cancerinfluence C levels. Quite a few issues seem to contribute to vitamin C levels and should be thought about when listing global recommendations for dietary intake. (1) Vitamin C levels are not studied very well around the world particularly in low- and middle- income countries. Relying on completed studies, researchers report that vitamin C deficiency is commonplace in low-, middle- and even in subgroups of people in high-income settings. (2) Chiropractic Solutions may not be able to address the vitamin C levels of those around the world, but we are available to our San Jose chiropractic friends!
ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN IMMUNE FUNCTION
Vitamin C is a well-recognized essential factor in immune function and epigenetic inflammatory modifications. Vitamin C is optimally obtained by regular dietary intake. 41.8% of participants in the 2003-2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) has insufficient levels of vitamin C. Deficient vitamin C plasma levels were found in males, adults aged 20-59, Black and Mexican Americans, smokers, those with higher BMI, and those with middle and high poverty to income ratio and food insecurity. These folks are at greater risk for inflammatory driven disease with little or no signs of low vitamin C levels. (3) Chiropractic Solutions urge our San Jose chiropractic patients know if they are at risk for low nutrient levels and address those to be as healthy as possible!
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Health and well-being is a delicate balance of many issues, one being a well-functioning immune system. Researchers have established intake levels of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E and zinc, yet many people‘s levels are low. Deficient levels of such nutrients damage the immune system and lessen its response when it’s most required. In a study of 26,282 adults over age 19 in the 2005-2016 NHANES study, a “prevalence of inadequacy” was found for all of these:
- 45% for vitamin A
- 46% for vitamin C
- 95% for vitamin D
- 84% for vitamin E
- 15% for zinc
Supplementation is described as beneficial while a call for better understanding of the interactions of multiple nutrient shortages on the immune system is also suggested. This would help identify optimal levels of intake for at-risk people. (4) Chiropractic Solutions is prepared to analyze the vitamin C levels of our San Jose chiropractic patients and help them adjust it as needed.
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the role chiropractic may play in immune system health as well as how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management works.
Make your San Jose chiropractic appointment soon. Together, we can delve into just how well you are fueling your body to keep the immune system working optimally!
